Animals in Camouflage

Can you see me?

Incredible illustrations highlight this striking book introducing animals in camouflage. It requires close examination, but there, in the foliage, is the amazing leaf insect displaying a perfect example of disguise, a form of camouflage. The lush illustrations alone will enthrall readers, but clues to seven remarkably well-hidden animals will draw them into new worlds. From the frozen tundra to the deep blue sea, Animals in Camouflage will thrill and astound readers of all ages.

Further exploration of the habits and lives of these animals is provided in the back of the book. This companion to Animals Black and White is another intriguing and engaging discovery of animals in the wild.

Look Inside the Book:

Author & Illustrator Bios:

Phyllis Limbacher Tildes, author/illustrator

Phyllis Limbacher Tildes is the author/illustrator of several books for young readers, including Baby Animals Black and White, Will You Be Mine?, and more. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design and studied art in Rome, Italy. After many years as a graphic designer, Phyllis turned her creative energies to her true love: creating picture books for children. She lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Awards & Honors:

ABA Kids' Pick of the Lists

Editorial Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews

Tildes presents more riddles on animals, this time focusing on those that use camouflage in order to survive. Seven unusual animals hide from predators and prey in these pages: polar bear, white-tailed deer, horned owl, crab spider, Ceylon leaf insect, leafy sea dragon, and tree frog. Tildes gives clues and invites viewers to guess the name of the hidden animal, then provides a closer look at the animal, making the camouflaging details more apparent. This title will work well for group viewing. An afterword includes the names of the types of camouflage and additional information about the featured animals.

Booklist

This brief, effective picture book demonstrates how animals manage to blend in with their surroundings. Each double-page spread features a short riddle, printed in extra large type, about an animal hidden somewhere in the picture on the opposite page. A turn of the page reveals a large illustration of the creature in question, accompanied by the name of the animal and a few facts. Covered (and then uncovered) are such animals as the polar bear, the crab spider, and the great horned owl. Two pages at the end of the book give a few more facts about each animal. The animals, hidden in well-rendered gouache paintings, are not easy to find (sometimes only a part of them is revealed), but children will still have fun looking and discovering how the creatures blend in with their surroundings. It all adds up to a fun package.

School Library Journal

Tildes presents seven creatures, each of which is introduced with a page of clues to its identity opposite an eye-catching gouache illustration of the critter in its habitat. Subsequent pages identify the hidden creature and give a few additional facts and another detailed, close-up illustration of the animal. The simple text is printed in extra-large type. Even children too young to read will enjoy guessing "What am I?" and searching among snow, leaves, blossoms, and seaweed to find a polar bear, leaf insect, great horned owl, crab spider, leafy sea dragon, white-tailed deer, and tree frog. The closing pages describe camouflage tactics and give another paragraph about each species. Simpler in text than Jim Arnosky's handsome I See Animals Hiding (1995) or Jennifer Owings Dewey's vivid Can You Find Me? (1994,both Scholastic), and definitely more basic than Joyce Powzyk's elegantly informative Animal Camouflage (Bradbury,1990;o.p.), Tildes's title deserves a place in quality collections of natural history.

Bookselling This Week

A nonfiction book written for the early elementary student interested in the animal kingdom and the use of camouflage to hide from predators and prey. Seven animals are hidden in seven paintings. Using a large colorful picture format and easy-to-read written clues, children try first to guess and then, with the turn of the page, discover what animal is hidden in each painting. Successful methods of camouflage, blending, color change, disguise, and pattern are described. More information is given on each animal at the end of the book.

The Horn Book Guide

"I blend with the snow as I roam the ice floes of the Arctic…What am I?"

A simple text introduces young readers to seven animals whose ability to blend in with their surroundings helps them hide from predators and prey. The bold illustrations show the animals first in camouflage, then unveiled on the following double-page spread. Additional notes are provided at the end of the book.